A founding member of the Photo-Secession, Steichen exemplified the tendencies of the Pictorialist movement; his work often blurred the boundaries between painting and photography. In large, ambitious, painterly works such as this one, Steichen demonstrated his knowledge of other media as well as his mastery of the most advanced photographic styles of the day. This bold, modern work and others similar to it helped Steichen to break new ground, not only in photography but also in the broader representation of landscape.